1916 - 1938 Buffalo Nickel Value (United States)

U.S. MINT SPECIFICATIONS

Denomination:

$0.05

Obverse Image:

Profile of an American Indian.

Reverse Image:

American bison, or buffalo.

Metal Composition:

75% copper, 25% nickel

Total Weight:

5.00 grams

Comments:

Dates on Buffalo nickels are easily worn away when used in circulation. The Mint tried unsuccessfully to adjust the design. In 1938, after the minimum 25-year period had expired (without Congressional intervention), it was replaced by the Jefferson nickel. [ source ]

Please note, Buffalo nickels do not contain any silver. Please see below to view composition and today's metal value. This can be a highly-collectible coin, please view the numismatic value range to understand if your coin could command a high premium.

CALCULATING TODAY'S MELT VALUE (USD)

Using the latest metal prices and the specifications above, these are the numbers required to calculate melt value:

The CME uses pounds to price these metals, that means we need to multiply the metal price by .00220462262 to make the conversion to grams.

1. Calculate 75% copper value :

(2.6378 × .00220462262 × 5.00 × .75) = $0.0218072

2. Calculate 25% nickel value :

(6.1711 × .00220462262 × 5.00 × .25) = $0.0170058

3. Add the two together :

$0.0218072 + $0.0170058 = $0.0388130

$0.0388130 is the melt value for the 1913-1938 Buffalo Nickel on March 03, 2015.

← Calculate the value of your own coins.

1916-1938 BUFFALO NICKEL MINTAGE AND COLLECTIBLE VALUES (USD)

The "Year" column lists the year and mint mark on the coin -- D is for Denver, S is for San Francisco, and P is for Philadelphia. A coin without a mint mark means it was also minted in Philadelphia. The "Mintage" column is the number of coins struck and released by the U.S. Mint. The "Numismatic Value Range" column represents what people typically pay for that type of coin (usually a very wide price range depending on the condition).

The 1937 D three-legged buffalo nickel is also a popular variety and highly collectible. PCGSCoinFacts has an estimated survival of 10,000 specimens for this coin and values can range from $400.00 up to $7,500.00.

If you're interested in learning more about grading coins, Photograde is an excellent resource.

EBAY AUCTIONS - BUFFALO NICKELS

I believe that the old saying, "A coin is only worth what someone will pay for it," is absolutely true. I prefer eBay because it displays what people are actually paying for coins. Monthly coin price magazines and online price lists may not reflect current market conditions because they don't demonstrate what people are actually willing to pay.